****Hicca's POV****

I woke up the next day to an unknown room that was definitely not mine. "Where am I?" I looked around in an attempt to identify my surroundings.

"You are at my house, in my room." Austen's voice rang out from the door. I whipped my head in his direction as all of yesterday came flooding back to me.

"My dad! Is he okay? How's he-" My frantic questioning was cut off by him laughing.

"This is not a time to be laughing." I jumped out of Austen's bed and went through the door, down the stairs, and into the sunshine. I ran in the direction of the healer's hut, barely glancing at the burned remains of my house. That reminds me, I have to go see the dragon again.

I ran inside Gothi's hut, gasping and saw my dad sitting up in a bed in the corner with his right arm wrapped, as well as a bandage on his forehead.

"Dad! You're okay!" I ran over to him and gave him the biggest hug in the history of hugs.

"You thought a little house fire would hurt me? I'm fine." He asked me as if the very thought was outrageous.

"Dad, you were unconscious and covered in soot and smoke. How can you say you're fine! Look at your arm, it's covered in bandages." I exclaimed gesturing at the limb in question.

"Huh, didn't notice that." He said looking at his arm. Of course not

"Of course you didn't. But I imagine that it's going to be a while until you can leave, so who should I tell to take over for a few days, Gobber or Uncle Spitelout?"

"Neither." At my confused look, he continued "I'm leaving this hut right now. After all, we still have to have our father-daughter day."

"Oh yea, right…. Our last attempt didn't go so well. But maybe we should wai-" I started to say that we should wait a few days until we tried the whole father-daughter bonding thing again but was interrupted when he decided that it would be a good time to leave the hut and while attempting to get up, aggravated an unseen wound -burn probably- causing him to flop back onto the bed with a gasp of pain. I just sat there, staring at him, with a concerned look on my face.

"I told you so." I trailed off triumphant. As soon as I said this my dad did something I never thought was possible.

"Are you pouting?" I asked incredulously looking at my dad as if he had three heads.

"No…." He looked away from me and glared down at the blanket he was covered in.

"Uh-huh sure, just like I'm not called the village runt," I told him sarcastically. His head snapped up.

"Wait, what are you talking about… the Village runt?"

"What about it?"

"Who calls you that?"

"Pretty much everyone except Gobber and you. But you don't because you're never home. But, that's beside the point." He winced as soon as I said this. Whether or not it was from pain or my comment on how he was never home, I will never know.

"Hicca, I'm so sorry. I've been such a te-"

"Okay new topic! Like how you can't get out of bed for... I don't know how many days right now… but until Gothi says you can!" I cut in seeing the startling sight of my dad tearing up.

"Fine. If I have to…"

"Good. Well, I'll go get Gobber so I can go…. do things." Go see the dragon again.

"Okay good. Will I see you later?"

"For dinner," I said firmly

"Okay, for dinner." With a nod from him, I got up and left Gothi's hut.


****In the village****

"Gobber!" I shouted across the square. Hard to miss him when he towers over everyone.

"Hey, lassie. How's your dad doing?" He asked me, truly concerned about him.

"Okay, I think. He tried to get up to spend the day with me but almost as soon as he tried, he gasped and clutched his ribs. So Dad's ribs seem to be hurting. But you're the only one who knows what Gothi is saying so I don't truly know his condition so I'm going off of observations."

"Oh, well I'll go up soon and see what Gothi has to say soon but for now I guess I will take over the position of chief since your father can't." At my satisfied nod, he smiled and looked towards what used to my house which was now being rebuilt.

"You know that when we saw smoke coming from your house, Austen got really worried right?"

"He did?" I asked surprised.

"Yea, he was training but he dropped everything and ran across the island towards your house. I saw him run by the forge, then I saw the smoke."

"He was probably running to his chief's aid. He doesn't care about me, never has, never will."

"That's what you think lassie," Gobber said with a secretive smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?"'

"Oh, nothing."

"Gobber, this isn't funny. You should know better than to mess with a girl's emotions. You know I have had a crush on him since we were eight."

" Yep, I do. Anyways, I best be off. Gotta see how yer father's doin', according to Gothi. I'll tell you what she says later. Bye." With that, he walked off towards Gothi's hut.

"Well, I better get a move on…" I walked towards the docks with a confused look on my face, which doesn't even come close to what I'm feeling at that moment.

What I didn't see was Austen coming out of the shadows and stare after me with a shocked look on his face.


Don't forget to review :)

~Night Fury's Avenger